News from Epilepsy Research UK

Epilepsy Research UK is delighted to announce that one of our funded researchers, Dr Gashirai Mbizvo, has been awarded the 2019 Charles Symonds Prize for Best Platform Presentation by a Junior Neurologist at the Association of British Neurologists Annual Meeting in Edinburgh. Dr Mbizvo has been working with Dr Susan Duncan on an ERUK project grant to investigate the causes read more

Last night at the House of Commons we were pleased to stand alongside a number of charities who have all agreed to work together to improve outcomes for people with neurodevelopmental conditions. The Embracing Complexity Coalition, lead by the team at Autistica, has released a report summarising the results of a survey of people living with Neurodevelopmental conditions to stimulate read more

Lead investigator: Professor Markus Reuber, University of Sheffield Co-investigators: Dr Heidi Christensen, University of Sheffield, Dr Traci Walker, University of Sheffield Project grant: £75,203, 3 years “The successful treatment of epilepsy depends on a correct diagnosis. However, it often takes much too long to make the initial diagnoses and too many turn out to be wrong. Despite technological advances the read more

Scientific Title: Hippocampal shape analysis: a novel practical predictive biomarker of surgical outcome? Lead investigator: Dr Marian Galovic, University College London Co-investigators: Dr Matthias Koepp, UCL Pilot grant: £29,744, 15 months “Epilepsy is frequently treated with a one-size-fits-all approach. We hope that analysing the hippocampus in detail using shape analysis will reveal why some people are more likely to fail epilepsy read more

Scientific Title: The use of portable magnetoencephalography (MEG) in epilepsy Lead investigator: Dr Umesh Vivekananda, Institute of Neurology, University College London Co-investigators: Prof Matthew Walker UCL, Prof Gareth Barnes UCL Project grant: £83,958, 3 years “This project aims to develop and use a novel, state-of-the-art form of electrical brain recording called portable Magnetoencephalography. This will likely be able to record read more

Scientific Title: Neurogliaform interneurons: a promising inhibitory target to stop focal and generalised seizures Lead investigator: Dr Vincent Magloire, Institute of Neurology, University College London Supervisor: Professor Dimitri Kullmann, Institute of Neurology, University College London Fellowship Award: £247,133, 3 years “With this ERUK study, I will attempt to stop seizures by manipulating the activity of one specific inhibitory cell type. read more

Lead investigator: Dr Sjoerd Vos, Department of Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering, University College London Co-investigators: Prof John Duncan, UCL, Dr Peter Taylor, Newcastle University, Dr Pamela Thompson, UCL, Dr Sallie Baxendale, UCL Project grant: £163,573, 3 years “Our project aims to improve treatment options in those people who do not benefit from epilepsy medication. In the right cases, surgery read more

On Thursday 4 April, Epilepsy Research UK collaborated with The University of Edinburgh to host an event showcasing some of the ground-breaking ERUK-funded research into epilepsy being carried out in Scotland. The evening was hosted by Professor Mike Cousin and Dr Richard Chin, Co-Directors of the Muir Maxwell Epilepsy Centre, University of Edinburgh, who curated an impressive line up of speakers read more

A total of £99,285.48 was raised for ERUK by Club Triumph’s Round Britain Reliability Run, an epic event around Britain taking in John O’Groats to Land’s End. When first contacted in 2017 by Tim Bancroft, Event Organiser of Club Triumph’s Round Britain Reliability Run, we had no idea how exceptional our partnership would turn out to be. We were chosen read more

Epilepsy Research UK is delighted to announce that the charity has been chosen as official Charity of the Year 2019 by A2Dominion following a staff vote. Throughout the course of the year, A2Dominion, an award-winning residential property group with a social purpose, will help to raise vital funds for epilepsy research and raise awareness for what is a low profile read more

Join us on Thursday 4th April from 6-8pm at The University of Edinburgh, EH8 This will be a unique opportunity to hear about ground-breaking research into epilepsy being carried out in Scotland. A team of Epilepsy Research UK (ERUK) funded researchers will be showcasing their work and opening the floor to you as supporters to ask questions and understand more read more

Thanks to our membership of the National Free Wills Network you can get a simple will written, or your existing will updated, by a local solicitor at no cost to you. It is a very simple process. Call us on 020 3096 7887, or email us at shona@eruk.org.uk. Send us your name and address with reply code ‘Free Wills’, and read more

Epilepsy Research UK has a proud history of organising international expert workshops on ‘hot topics’ in epilepsy research. Since their inception in 1993 the intention has been to bring together some of the best minds in epilepsy research from around the world to share new research findings, and to discuss and debate novel approaches to furthering our understanding and treatment read more

On 19th February the The Good Law Project threatened to issue judicial review proceedings on Tuesday 26 February, unless the Government cancels powers allowing pharmacists to alter prescriptions in the event of medicines shortages. SUDEP Action are supporting this process by providing evidence on the potentially catastrophic impact this could have on those living with epilepsy. Channel4 News aired an informative read more

Epilepsy Research UK has a vacancy for a Business Support and Fundraising Administrator. If you think you may be interested in this newly created role, then please use the link here to find out more about the experience and expertise required. We look forward to hearing from you.

Epilepsy Research UK supports and promotes basic and clinical scientific research into the causes, treatments and prevention of epilepsy; and is the only national charity in the UK that funds independent research exclusively into this condition.

Epilepsy Research UK is a member of the Association of Medical Research Charities